Having Our Backs

At the last moment on Friday when someone who was supposed to give a speech couldn’t make it to UniTy’s TDOR in Springfield Massachusetts I was asked to give a speech in her place. I usually start off with an outline and then write my speech around the outline but on Friday I only had about an hour to work on my speech so here is my outline and I filled the rest on the fly. I centered my speech on hope and the amazing results of Question 3 in Massachusetts.

Outline Of The UniTy Speech

You all know what’s coming out of Washington these days . Hate crimes are increasing. On Facebook everyday there are more video and stories about hate and discrimination. Our future looks bleak

But I want you to keep one thing in mind… Question 3 passed with 67% of the voters voted for us!

That’s two thirds of the voters have our backs.

What about the other third?

Well some of them will never change, they will always hate us no matter what and nothing that we do will change that.

Those we should just ignore we are not going to sway them, and if they spew their hate at us we shouldn’t stoop to their level we should take the high road.

No matter what you say you are not going to change their minds but you can change the minds of those around you.

What I have done is just shake my head at them telling them that I pity them for wasting their lives on hate.

And remember one thing two thirds of the people around you voted for us.

Many that voted against probably don’t know anyone trans and they voted out of fear of the unknown and it is those who we should take as a challenge to get to know them.

Just by us being out and being ourselves changes people.

The waiter that serves us.

The contractor that comes out to gives us a quote on a remodeling job.

The garage mechanic that repairs our car.

The two ladies at the Audubon Society's wildlife sanctuary in Wellfleet I bet never meet a trans person until I walked in and they got to know me as a person.

I wager that they are a part of the 67%

Those who volunteered to go door-to-door for Question 3

Those who worked the phone banks.

They made a difference.

Those who wrote letters-to-the-editor made a difference.

Our secret weapon is our stories, just by telling our stories we made a difference and change peoples’ minds.

67%!

In the elections around the country elections were won by a few percentage points between Democratic and Republicans, but in Massachusetts we won by 67%!

Think about that… 67%

All around the country something like four or five trans candidates won office around the country!

The people said no to hate and yes to voting for the best candidate for the job.

Today we are here to remember those who were murdered because of hate but we are also here to show that we will stand up together against the violence.

A friend says “If you hear mean, intervene.”

I think the Reverend Jesse Jackson said it best in his poem “I am Somebody”-- we are all somebody and we can never forget that.

I will not be erased.

I will not be erased.

Remember with all the hate coming out of Washington and across the nation they are only a small fraction of the people. They are vocal, loud and fill of hate and we cannot let them get control of our country, we voted and we made a difference.